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Aussie Santa Save
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia Date: December 25, 1993 Story Santa Claus is loved and recognized the world over, as a symbol of Christmas. But as we grow up, most people stop believing in Santa's ability to affect our lives. After what happened on a summer day in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia on Christmas Day 1993, all of the members of one family will never be too old to believe. "It was a really nice day, Christmas Day. A whole lot of people were on the beach. Thousands of people." said Westpac Life Saving Helicopter crewman Steve Lahey. "The water is dangerous, so we do surf patrols up and down the coast." remembers Gold Coast lifeguard Terry Gotje. Allen Johnston was out on the water that day with his three sons, Nathan, Garron, and Travis. "Christmas morning, we usually get up and open up our presents. And then we try to kill a little bit of time between then and lunch. We thought, 'Well that would be an ideal opportunity to shoot a few more waves with the jet ski.'" said Johnston. Eighteen-year-old Nathan took over the jet ski, while his younger brother, Garron, watched. "We were having lots of fun and my brother got on. Nathan is a show-off!" said Garron. Johnston watched on as his sons rode the jet ski in the ocean. "I said to Nathan, 'Away you go, mate. Have a good time, and just take it steady.' There's no way you could think that anything on such a perfect day could go wrong." Johnston remembers. Nathan and his brothers then drove the jet ski further out to sea. "Nathan thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the jet ski. He got a little bit bored with the mundane part of it, and he decided to go up where the waves were a little bit bigger," said Johnston. He watched on from the shore, as his sons rode the jet ski further out to a deeper area of the ocean with bigger waves. Suddenly, Johnston heard a crash, then the jet ski's engine died, followed by a wave, and a dead silence. Now, all was still. The only thing that could be heard was the rippling of water. "Is he off?" asked Johnston. But there was no answer. "The jet ski came through the set, and no Nathan. And then, we noticed he was floating facedown in the water," remembers Johnston. "We thought he just fell off and was going to get back on, but he wasn't moving!" recalls Garron. As soon as they realized that Nathan was in trouble, Johnston immediately put out a Mayday call, and told the lifeguards that he needed all assistance possible. Meanwhile, Garron and Travis tried to help Nathan. "Nathan! Nathan! Wake up!" Travis screamed. Garron was scared out of his mind, because he knew that Nathan was unconscious. "I looked up, and I saw the helicopter coming along, with Santa Claus dangling in mid-air! It was like someone above was looking at us on Christmas Day. It was an absolute miracle, it was a fluke!" exclaimed Johnston. Westpac Life Saving Helicopter crewman Steve Lahey heard Johnston's mayday. "I monitored a call over the Air-Sea Rescue Frequency, that there appeared to be a jet ski rider in the water, possibly drowning," said Lahey. To celebrate Christmas, Gotje, dressed in a Santa suit, was on patrol 30 feet beneath the helicopter. "There was no time to land on the beach and disconnect, so we ended up putting me straight into the water in the Santa suit," recalls Gotje. He then jumped into the ocean, where he discovered the capsized jet ski, and Nathan, who wasn't responding to his brothers' screams. "Travis was absolutely screaming, trying to wake him up. All that I could see was that Nathan was foaming at the mouth," said Johnston sadly. "I managed to drag him straight into the boat, and his face was dead. I thought to myself, 'I've just pulled a dead son into the boat!' A split second later, Santa Claus came in behind me, and started to work on Nathan, trying to resuscitate him," Johnston stated. "One minute, I was waving to people along the beach, and the next minute, I had a drowning patient beside me. I didn't know if he was alive or dead, so I immediately rolled him on his side in a recovery-type position, and cleaned his airway up," said Gotje. "I kept asking what was going on. Was he alive? What was happening? It was just cutting at the heart," said Johnston. "When Nathan was rolled over and started to breathe, it was a huge relief. But it was a gurgle type of breathing, and knowing there was water in his lungs is rather scary when you hear somebody breathing like that. I had no idea how long he'd been underwater. The main problem I saw was probably going to be brain damage," said Gotje. Queensland ambulance officer Marc Lundman happened to be assigned to the Gold Coast Water Police Boat that day. "When we noticed a boat quickly going past us the other way, and a man who appeared to be in some sort of red suit kneeling down over someone lying in the back, we heard the initial call as being someone who had come off a jet ski, and we assumed that he possibly hit his head. The first thing I saw was a man in a Santa suit, but obviously the first concern was the patient. He was very pale, he was lifeless. He had a lot of difficulty in breathing. Obviously there was a lot of water in his lungs and airway. He was constantly vomiting it up and he looked in a very serious condition," said Lundman. "It was like a godsend, that somebody who was more qualified than I was, was actually there to help," remembers Gotje. "These guys were just working, unbelievable efforts! They must've worked for 10 minutes, maybe even longer, maybe 15 minutes, because he just wasn't with us," said Johnston sadly. "He was breathing, but we knew he still wasn't out of the woods, for the fact that he still had water in his lungs," said Lundman. "It was still a major concern to me, to see what the outcome was going to be, and if he was actually going to be okay," remembers Gotje. "As the ambulance pulled away, my heart was so full of hope, but I was scared inside. I just didn't know how he would be," said Johnston. Nathan was taken to Gold Coast Hospital, where he was examined by Dr. Mark Alcott. "He was in critical condition, and he needed advanced life support and ventilation. I thought there was not a chance he would survive at all," remembers Dr. Alcott. "We weren't given a whole lot of hope, as far as what his recovery rate was. They didn't lie to us, but at the same time, they didn't lead us down the guiding path either," said Johnston. Surprisingly, Nathan responded quickly, and was released from the hospital the next day. Although he is eventually expected to fully recover, nine months later, he is still regaining his strength. "I don't think I could describe how lucky I feel. You look at life a totally different way. You try and take every opportunity you can get, because once it's gone, it's gone!" remembers Nathan. "We were just the ones that were basically flying over, and happened to stumble across him. I think there was an angel on my shoulder that day. But if it wasn't for the efforts of his family, on the water and in that boat that day, he more than likely would've drowned," says Gotje. "Terry was just unbelieveable, and this guy does this every weekend. You go out in all sorts of seas, it's just unbelieveable! Thanks doesn't seem enough," says Johnston. "If you do lose consciousness, as the patient did in this scenario, you could sink straight to the bottom. You haven't got something to keep you afloat. The fact that he was wearing a life jacket, is what probably ultimately saved his life," said Lundman. "All children should believe in Santa Claus. I don't know about us adults, but I think it makes you believe there is someone watching over us. That's what I believe," said Mrs. Johnston. "I feel like I've got a second chance, and this time I will make the most of it, and nothing's going to stop me," said Nathan happily. "It's probably one Christmas gift he won't forget, having Santa drop out of the sky and rescue him. He's a very lucky person!" exclaimed Lundman. Category:1993 Category:Australia Category:Drownings Category:Holiday Category:Christmas Category:Cardiac Arrest